Do you remember that song you sang as a child, Oh, be careful little eyes what you see? I didn’t realize how important that song was – until now.
In a world full of visual noise – especially photographs – this may ring true more than ever. In Kodak’s The Art of Seeing it says, “With each passing image registering on her eyes, natural pathways became established, automatically sorting and shuttling faces on this route, flowers on that, and before she would ever take a picture, thousands, even millions of images would further wear the visual pathways… Her future ways to seeing would, in part, depend on what she was taught to appreciate.”
Do you understand what they are saying? Our preferences are formed long before we even realize what is happening – some say while we are still infants. They are shaped by our surroundings, books, social media feeds, Pinterest, billboards etc. Most of us do not even realize these pictures are registering in our minds and setting our standards for what we deem as beautiful. Is it any wonder than artists from old studied nature and produced work that has lasted centuries? Their “sight” was not cheapened but was formed and reinforced by the purest of sources.
I have seen this true in my own personal experience! A few years ago I took three years off social media and I am still amazed at how my preferences changed during that time. It felt like I went back to things I was drawn to naturally or influenced by my childhood as opposed to what I was trying to make it. At the time, I was photographing using pastel colors with a little bit more glamour than what is true of my own style. During that time away from “cheap” imagery, I naturally found myself shooting and pulling in more earthy tones that were influenced by my surroundings growing up in South Georgia – browns, greens, gold… When it comes to photographing today, I find myself pulled towards the sea oats more-so than even our beautiful, blue waters!
What does this mean for you and your family portraits? Before you choose your outfits, take time to see what is in your closet – the colors and textures. Look around your at natural surroundings, home and past experiences to see what you are truly drawn to. This is the secret to having family portraits you will love forever!
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